


Examination of Extremities

by SportAnimeHell



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, Slow To Update, get your head out of the clouds Nanase, one of those "drop the -chan" fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 08:08:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3112382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SportAnimeHell/pseuds/SportAnimeHell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Subtle hand brushing makes Haru nostalgic.<br/>In which Haru can tell there's something changing, and it's not just his surroundings but other things he'd rather deny and avoid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Examination of Extremities

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place before they move to Tokyo, at the end of the school year and during the summer.  
> Anyway, I’m pretty much going to jam all my favorite OTP kinks into one fic, probably making it a mess. Enjoy!

            Makoto and Haru have been walking to and from school together almost every day for their entire school career. Naturally, Haru’s grown accustom to the back of their hands touching lightly, not even apologizing anymore. Really, he’s used to holding hands with Makoto- but that doesn’t happen anymore. When they were young, they’d hold hands any time they were together: to make sure they wouldn’t get lost from each other, or simply because they liked to know their best friend was still by their side. Haru doesn’t really know when they broke that habit, sometime before middle school, he assumes. He can’t help but miss it, it was almost a ritual- something he’d look forward to. But, Makoto being shy and easily embarrassed, didn’t want any of their classmates to make fun of them. Haru gets it, he knows how Makoto is, he could never be _mad_ at him for his sensitiveness. Annoyed? Yes.

            Thinking all of this, Haru side-eyes Makoto, who’s sitting next to him in class. He sighs. Something within him is different, something he can’t quite put his finger on. Maybe it’s just himself subconsciously preparing for the big move that is slowly creeping up on him and his best friend. For the first time ever, he won’t have Makoto just down the road, or even at arm’s length.

            It’s strange and it’s scary (not that Haru would ever admit that). He’s never known what it’s like to not have Makoto always ready to be at his side- he’s never had to. So, now he feels that he has to absorb every ounce of Makoto, before seeing him isn’t as easy as walking down a flight of stairs.

            Haru hasn’t been paying attention to his teacher since she opened her mouth- _something about science?_ \- All he can pay attention to is Makoto. His every move, every noise, every breath. Starting from his unique and warm eyes, Haru travels down to Makoto’s permanent little smile, his Adams apple, trailing down his defined arms, finally resting his gaze on his hands.

            They’re long, but not lanky; strong and reliable, just like the rest of him. His knuckles are cracked and dry, yet his fingers seemingly untouched by the chlorines consequences. They're just a bit worn looking; the tip of his fingers having small callouses, no doubt from the pools scratchy coating. His fingers bulb out where the knuckles meet, looking like his skin is wrapped a bit too tight around his bones.

            Haru adjusts his gaze to look at his own hands. Long, slender, fragile looking things.

“ _Feminine.”_ Haru mumbles with a sigh, wiggling his almost spider leg-like fingers about. Amused by this thought, he curls his fingers in an arc, making them run across his desk.

            His hands are amongst one of the many traits he got from his mother, along with his slender build, and eyelashes long enough to carry an infant on, probably. Another hardly audible sigh makes its way past his lips, figuring he should have just been born a girl. It would make a great deal of things easier on him. Although, thinking about how Kou gets hit on constantly and persistently seems like it would be a hassle. With a shake of his head, he clears his thoughts. No, he was fine being a guy.

            Haru’s ears perk up and his attention is drawn back to reality when he hears a familiar stifled laugh and a quick, low call of his name.

“Hey, Haru. What are you doing? At least _act_ like you’re paying attention,” whispers a slightly entertained, slightly confused Makoto.

            Haru didn’t realize he was still staring at his hands, crawling around like spiders. Haru quickly flattens them on his desk and averts his eyes out the window to hide his oh-so faint blush. He knows Makoto isn’t judging him and is only thinking of his well-being, but Haru is embarrassed none the less.

            It’s summer, so day dreaming about swim practice after school is enough to calm his nerves, _and_ get him through the rest of the day. He only has a few more chances to indulge in Makoto’s strong hands pulling him out of the water before he'll have to do it himself in Tokyo.

            Only minutes later, the bell signals, calling the school day to an end. Jumping out of his seat, grabbing his things, and clutching Makoto by the back of his shirt, he pushes forward out of the classroom, heading to the locker room. Makoto being the good sport that he is, only laughs and lets himself be jostled by a seemingly anxious Haru.

“Why such the hurry, Haru-chan?”

“Drop the -chan and walk faster,” Haru barks, while shoving into Makoto’s back with more force.

“Okay, okay, sorry. C’mon, stop pushing me; I walk faster than you do!”

“Then prove it.”

            Once they reach the locker room, Haru decides to wait for Makoto to get changed, plopping down on a bench across from Makoto’s locker. He really can’t help but be curious of what Makoto looks like a little bit naked (something he’d _swear_ was just to help remember Makoto by, while in Tokyo). That’s normal, right? He’s sure Nagisa peeks at Rei all the time- no he’s sure of it; Nagisa isn’t one for subtlety.

“Don’t you already have you jammers on, Haru-chan?” Makoto asks, before unbuttoning his school shirt.

 _Fucking -chan._ “Yeah. I want to wait for you.”

            Makoto gives him a questioning look, shaking off his button-up and pulling his undershirt off over his head. Shrugging and mumbling an ‘okay’, he starts undoing his belt. Before taking off his pants, he turns his back to Haru with a heavy blush. He hesitates on his zipper, feeling Haru’s eyes on him.

“Uhm, could you close your eyes, please?” Makoto asks, looking back at Haru with a bashful smile.

            Haru rolls his eyes, but does what he’s told. Finally, Makoto pulls his pants off and reaches in his bag to pull out his jammers. To no one’s surprise, Haru opens one eye slowly and peeks at his best friend in all his mostly naked glory. Haru’s eyes take their time looking from Makoto’s wide shoulders, to his waist, and- _oh my god. Has Mako always had such a perfect butt? Wait, why am I checking out my best friends butt?_

            Suddenly embarrassed by his own thoughts, Haru squeezes his eyes shut once again and tries to ignore the heat rising in his cheeks, ears, and lower belly.

            With a snap of his jammers and a grunt, Haru can hear Makoto moving closer to him

“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” Makoto says.

_Maybe he won’t notice my blush-_

“Haru? Are you okay?”

            Makoto rushes over to put his hand on Haru’s forehead.

“Do you feel okay? You’re kind of warm. Do you want me to walk you home?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s just kind of hot,” Haru says quickly, getting up from his seat on the bench.

“I just want to swim.”

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE give me honest opinions, this is my first fanfic so I don't expect it to be great. Also, I have no idea when the next chapter will be up (days? weeks?? months??? YEARS [okay not years]????), or what it will entail. I am terrible at writing consistently, so if you are really fiending for an update, you might have to bully me into writing. Thank you for reading <3


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